KBR, a leading construction group, said it has entered into an engineering agreement for the residue hydroprocessing unit at the Jordan Petroleum Refinery (JPRC) Expansion Project.

This award follows an earlier decision for KBR as selected licensor for its proprietary Veba Combi Cracking (VCC) technology, said a statement from the company.

As per the deal, KBR will provide the basic design package for the unit using its proprietary VCC slurry phase hydrocracking technology.

This unique technology is capable of processing a wide range of feedstocks and enables production of fuels that meet environmental specifications without further upgrading, it stated.

On the contract win, John Derbyshire, the president of KBR Technology and Consulting, said: "We are excited to implement our unique VCC technology and contribute to the success of this important and prestigious project."

KBR, he stated, is committed to the success of JPRC's fourth refinery expansion.

"With its recent implementation in Russia and China, VCC technology has emerged as the most successful slurry phase hydrocracking technology to reliably produce high quality finished products from heavy feeds," added Derbyshire.

JPRC's chief executive Abdel Karim Alawin said: "We selected VCC technology from among several alternative processes for the conversion of the bottom of the barrel in its forthcoming expansion project."

JPRC, he stated, was looking for a feasible process that yields clean products with minimum negative environmental impact.

"Thorough and careful evaluation led to the selection of VCC technology which we think will be the technology of choice for future residue conversion projects," Alawin said.  "We certainly look forward to working with KBR to get this project on stream," he added.

According to him, the VCC technology will be implemented at JPRC's refinery in Jordan and will be the core of the refinery's expansion plans to increase production to 120,000 barrels per day.-TradeArabia News Service